GOSSIP FROM CALIFORNIA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 141, 14 June 1879, Page 4

GOSSIP FROM CALIFORNIA.

(Correspondent of the Auckland Herald) San Francisco, May 12-. A MAY DAY FETE. "Now is the month of Maying," — that is td say, if one could gn, but thp weather is not propitious, Tnlk of the wind in New Zaaland, — why, it is merely a zpphyr, soft and balmy, compared lo the heavy gale that blows here from 10 to 5. I always thought Wellington was about, the vilest summer residence I was ever in; but all things go by comparison, &nd San Francisco is ahead of Wellington in all things, not excepting ile galee. We never: wear anythi-g but heavy clothing lere . which, however, eaves a world off trouble, for the same dresses answer for * .summer and winter. I wish every-; body had seen our May- day fete. It ; .took place in Woodward's Garden. I Picture 10,000 children ani parents* aod nurses piled up in a vast' amphithetitre, even to the roof ou (side,' through the windows of which the' little faces ptepec 1 . The ceremonies' were gone through by the pupils of the Brothers and Sisters MacCartby, wbo bave an immense dancing-school hire,; There was the veritable May Queen ; and the timo honoured May-pole, round! wbich the children danced, weaving the' silken ribtous in their little hands into; a many-coloured braid round the pole.' About 100 children dauced every! variety of dance, from a break down to 1 a cachuca. Fairy little figures, exquisitely dressed in lace, silk, velvet,' satin, and beautiful jewellery, formed 1 .the: loveliest eight my eyes have* witnessed io yeara of lime. Afier the; dancing, the happy groups dispersed themselves among the charming flowers and grass-plats and the lovely gardens; lookiog themselves like buttercups^ daisies, and poppies, as tbey covered lhe green award. A STRING OF HORRORS. The usual amount of suicides and murders help to fill the columns of the dailies, and strike awe in the hearts of tbose who look 00. A few daya ago a terrific sight was seen in Howardstreet. A yonng man had cut his throat on both side*, and wiih thi fingers of both hands plunged into the bleeding wounds was endeavoring to rip them still further open. Thus he * rushed wildly through the streets deluged with blood, a horrible sight to see. The next suicide on the list jb .William F. Cnssbohm, DeputyjTreasurer of the City and County of San Francisco, and he is the last of a long list of the victims oif alock gambling. Before his death he wrote a Utter, to tbe coroner ; admitting bis defalcations tp tbe amount of 200,000 dollars. Hip death was melancholy enough. He . wrote his letter, and kissed his wife ais he went out, and very shortly afterwards tbe report of (he usual pistol led her to the kitchen, wbere her husband eat at the table, bis head resting on bis hands, dead. Previous to this dea tfi . of a pubiic officer, A. Austin, some \ months ago oce Qf our most prominent and respected citizens, mode away • with 300,000 dollars of tbe public 1 foods, and killed himself. Collector Buckley took 200,000 dollars, and John flanna, Dr Swan, D. McCarthy, v Thomas Dixon, Sam. Poorman, Woodroffe, Palmer, and others, ending op : wiifcTH. S. Tibbey, wbo stole 200,000 , dollars, have followed suit. At the door of stock-gambling may all these . terrible shortcomings be laid, and we i can only designate it as the reign of - - crime.' Hardly a day pssses without a "steal" — no pettifogging sura, bot long thousands are abstracted and made . away with by tbe pubiic officers. The clerk of the Criminal Court is the last who has decamped witb 20,000 dollars; and co the ball rolls. Beiog on the string of horrors, I may as well mention tbe most frightful ' , one yet td hand ; (his occurred at Boston aiew days ago. Char le_ Freeman, wbo is a second adventist and a religione fanatic, claimed to have a revelation from tbe Lord, and called his neighbours to witness aod orthodox sacrifice he was ordered to make. When they arrived, a frightful sight met their horrified eyes. Freeman's . .i|tle sglrl,5 glrl, five year's old, was transfixed \- to tee table, by an enormousknife, while her: blood flowed over the takle osed as : sn altar. The mad wretch drove the .. crowd out, and went through' frigbtfai incantations for three days, when he Wiaid the child would rise again. •He and the mother were arrested.

„ Josiah Bacon is tbe representative of {ih? Gpod Tear Vulcanite Company, and ; travels throughout the United States odflecti6g tbe royalty on tbe vulcanite from the various dentists, who use it. Bacon was a man of qvcrb aring and insolent demeanour, and while here, a . fortnight Ago made it pretty hot for re- ' creant, toothdrawers, who would not, ' t ? r v coold not, pay up their arrears. One Sunday morning the housemaid of the " Baldwin " hotel looked in at the i: h'i_ilf-open door of Bacon's room and saw Wm lying prone upon the ground. . Going in she saw that he was dead. Do sound had disturbed the holy calm of^hat'sabbatb morn; no one had been pseen to enter his rooqa, and mystery <. apd wonder took possession of the people. Was be murdered ? No qne eoqjd Jtell, Simply be lay dead, 'the o , &sffe tbo^ possession of the case, and going through the dentists' rooms iali 0 . t gvsr |h§ city, found tbem all at work ;*, j»^ qnfcr-Dr Qhalfant. He v^.tion ek. ' Days passed, 'when one day k mfPjrflqiled, and weary, haggard, anj j4*yeD, ( and worn-out, walked iuto the Pglice Coart aod gave himself upas .

the slayer of Bacon. Hie tale ran that he being a defaulter ns lo i!*o royalty bad gone that Sunday morning to rctnon&f.afo with Bacon ; flint lhe latter hud insulted him, ns was hi**) wont, ancl he (Chalfan*) drew out a pistol fo intimidate him, and reduce him fo civility. The pistol — o felfcocking one — went off accidentally, and perforated (he abdomen of the victim, killing him instantly. Chalfant, horrified, and foiling os it were into a dream, walked out, and wondered nhnut in an objecilefs tnaDnfr for days, finally giving himself up. He is a man much liked, good and humane as (o character. Whatever (he (ruth is, no proof of premedifated murder cao be brought against him, but he is now in the County Gaol, awaiting his tiial, probably (o languish for a year before S'jch trial comes cfF, according to the custom in thia one-sided city. And now, though I could give a resume of a round doa n more such horrors, I think I have made this chapter of horrors long enough. HOW LADIES DSESS. Of course these little details will 1 please my lady friends over there, and as I am about it, I may tell them we are all wearing on the top of our heads enormous bows of coloured ribbon, < which might pass for a bonnet very well, if there were only strings; and our dresses are up to the top of our shoes almost, with not a particle of fulness.! A young lady friend of mine in Auckland has written to me for a dress pattern with a " bunchy" back. Alas ! no bunches are allowed. We go in our forms, and it is pretty severe on those who have poor ones, but then there are false ones to be had for payment for the same, — newspaper bustles and wire busts being at the disposal of all. I waa visiting a friend the other day, and remarking a grease spot on her exquisitely moulded bosom, I took my handkerchief to remove the same ; when, lo ! tbe bosom collapsed beneath the gentle rubbing, and rebounded like the springs of a sofa. I folt confounded. " What may it be ? " I asked. " Springs dear. You know I am as thin as a lath, and flat as a pancake, but for four bits you see how lovely I appear." Ah ! the style of the Jladies is beyond compare. PI&ES. A few days ago I was visiting a lady friend, and happened to open an umbrella in her parlour, whereupon she screamed out, " Oh, pray don't ; that's bad luck !" and the next day she called to tell me she had lost her whole possessions in the great fire at Eureka. " I told you so," she said. " I presume thafc fire waa contingent upon my wretched folly in opening that umbrella," I said, gravely. And I think she thought so too. Anyway, Eureka is laid in ashes, and 400 families are homeless. The fire swept everything in its track, including fire-proof buildings : total loss, 12,000,000 dollars. The citizens of San Francisco readily contributed funds amounting to 5000 do.lars up to this date — Colonel Fair, a Bonanza king, and another of the firm giving 500 dollars. Just think of it ; they actually did so much violence to their feelings and pockets, out of their long millions. We have as many fires as suicides, I hardljrkuow which is in the ascendant. Tk& fire-bell in this city never ceases to ring. Don't be surprised if some day the " Gossip " from California comes from the pen of a homeless creature, sitting in an alley on an inverted tub; for I expect nothing else than a clean sweep some of these days, wifch the high winds and wooden buildings. The only safety we have consists in the house being built of red wood, instead of pine. In the latter case, the town had gone long ago j but it's bound to go some day.